First Words
by MireyaAnthrynzala
Summary: For the first time in four years, Max finally speaks to Fang. But it wasn't the words he wanted to hear. No Wings/All-Human. Fax, later. First Fanfic!
1. Crash

**A/N: Hey guys! This is my first Fanfiction, so tell me what you think (:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.**

**Max POV**

"Max, are you listening?"

"Huh, wha–?" I asked and snapped out of deep thought as my Toyota slowed down at the stop sign. I was taking my dad to a physical therapy appointment and he's been talking ever since we got out of the driveway a minute ago.

"You weren't listening," he said, crossing his arms over his chest with accusation written on his face.

"Yeah, I was," I lied while looking both ways before turning the steering wheel. Outside was already dark and the sky was cloudy.

"What was I saying then?" his voice expectant.

"Labs, your co-workers, how you want to work again but you can't, experiments, your old life, yadayadaya." Although I wasn't even listening to a thing Dad said, I'm pretty sure it was one of those things I just listed. Ever since he got paralyzed from the waist down because of a lab incident, he was never able to work in the laboratory as a scientist that week on, Dad always talked about one of his discoveries and such.

He smiled at my response and continued talking as I zoned out again. I sighed, returning to my previous thoughts about how much things have changed in my past high-school year.

This was my last year and looking back at everything gave me a bittersweet feel. From losing someone who was important in my life to applying my first college application. The major events that occurred to me in high school never were easy to deal with.

"…and Dr. Gunther-Hagen created this experiment which was a total breakthrough! And Max, I wish you could've seen…"

**Fang POV**

One thousand, four-hundred and ninety-seven days (and counting) since Max last said a word to me. I took my eyes off the road, sighed, and glanced at the "peace offering" I made last night sitting neatly on the passenger seat. Chocolate chip cookies. I remember her facial expression when she first ate them. I couldn't help but smiled as I recalled the scene.

"_You made these?" Her eyes bulged at the rows of fresh baked cookies placed perfectly on the baking sheet. The vanilla and chocolate aroma filled the kitchen, giving the room a homey feel._

"_Yep," I grinned at my accomplishment. "Try one."_

_But she didn't. At first, Max eyed at my creation suspiciously. "What did you do to them…"Her finger stretched out and poked one. The chocolate oozed at her touch. _

"_I didn't do anything!" Irritated by the lack of trust, I tried to shove one in her mouth, but she stepped back. Rolling my eyes, I took the cookie in my hand and bit. I could taste the hint of vanilla and the trace of maple syrup in my mouth. I almost moaned at the goodness. _

"_See?" I said through the bits of cookie that stuck to my lips. "No poison."_

_She pondered for a moment. Then, she carefully grabbed one and took a small bite. Her eyes widened at the taste. She took another bite except this time, the intake was bigger. I waited for her verbal response. _

"_Well?" I asked expectantly with arms crossed against my chest and a spatula in my left hand for a more sophisticated affect. _

_She just nodded her head as an approval. My stomach did a flip turn. She was speechless; and it was __me__ that made her react that way. _

I glanced at the peace offering again. It took me a lot of courage to do this. And I did it… well, 'cause I missed her. Her raucous laugh, dazzling smile, sarcastic-slash- annoying comments, the light punches she threw towards me when I teased her, and most of all, her face.

I turned to the familiar neighborhood and drove towards BluKeive Street. The engine hummed below me and I tried to ignore the anxious knot forming in my stomach. I remembered her house being at the very end of the block.

It was getting dark and I almost couldn't see the shard of ice blocking my path. I steered jerkily away, flinging my steering wheel desperately to avoid the ice. My vehicle skidded, probably making marks on the road, and my tire smashed into the curb hard. I made another sharp turn, and as if fate decided to throw something at me for entertainment, I crashed into a red Toyota.

The shock jolted through me as my seatbelt dug into me. The window glass broke with an earsplitting sound. Some of the broken pieces sliced my skin, but I felt nothing due to the blow. I shut my eyes, unafraid to look at the mess, and swore.

A few minutes later, I opened my eyes and unclenched the steering wheel. It now had my nail marks embedded into it, I realized. I looked up to see a streak of blond hair on the driver's side of the Toyota, flashing behind the window screen. A man was on the passenger seat.

_Crap_, I thought, hoping this wasn't what I actually thought it was.

I brushed some debris away and fumbled with my seat belt. I tried to steady my shaking fingers. With a click, I climbed out of my car and walked briskly over to the Toyota. I tried to ignore the pain in my left leg, which would definitely form a bruise tomorrow. The cuts on my arms felt numb to the cold.

The girl looked shocked and started to panic. My stomach knotted in recognition. She shook the man next to her and started to scream out his name. The man's face was planted against the headboard with blood trickling down his bald head.

_What have I done?_ My brain shouted.

He lay limp as the girl cried out, telling him to wake up. I stood there, unable to take action as thoughts raced in my mind, chest constricting and blood seeming to freeze.

Max looked up and saw me standing there.

Then, she spoke to me for the first time in four years.

"I hate you," she spat, venom packed into every syllable.

Those words weren't the ones I wanted to hear.


	2. News

**A/N- Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews/story alerts/favorite story "notifications!" As a reward, I shall present you...****A JOKE.**

**JOKE: What's the difference between snowmen and snow women? ****(Answer at the end of chapter)**

**Max POV**

How far can hate go? Because I didn't think it would stretch like this.

I loathe Fang with all my guts and gore.

I stood in front of him with eyes blazing and hands curled into fists. My nose scrunched at the disinfectant smell. We were in the hospital lobby and I just heard the dreadful news that I so desperately wished that wasn't true.

"You. Killed. My. Father." I said and hoped my voice didn't falter.

Saying it out loud made everything sound real. My vision blurred and I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my eyes. Tears threatened to fall.

_Not in front of him, not in front of him, please…_

Standing opposite of him, I felt vulnerable and overwhelmed by everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours. First the crash, then encountering someone I vowed not to speak to ever again, my dad, the car getting towed…

Guilt and other emotions I couldn't discern fell upon his face. His lips moved, but nothing came out. We stood there, staring at each other's faces, until –

"Max," he started, "I–"

Okay, let's pause for a moment. I swear that the next part was totally unexpected. But two things happened right after that:

Good News: I didn't let him finish what he was saying and punched Fang square in the nose. Boy, did that feel _good_, the way his skin sank down and how his head jerked backwards. He staggered back at my strength, but my fingers started throbbing at the hit.

Bad News: I broke down and fell to my knees, crying. My sobs filled the air and snot clogged my nose as I tried desperately to stop being so weak in front of him. I saw surprise and guilt on Fang's face but he tried to hide it by covering his bloody nose.

He held his nose and spewed out profane words. Still stumbling back, Fang bumped into a petite nurse who then shrieked. He was instantly sent away to stop the blood flow.

Two other nurses rushed towards me and started making soothing touches and muttering reassurances, but I pushed them away. I ran out the door and was instantly met by the cold freezing weather. The sky was dark and the city lights were bright, hurting my eyes.

Snow fell effortlessly to remind everyone that December was near, swirling serenely, acting as if nothing was wrong with the world. The wind whipped my hair and I pulled the coat tightly around me, raggedly breathing in the icy air and tears freezing on my face. At this moment, I was wondering: _Why does my life suck?_

I walked down the sidewalk, counting from one to five-hundred in my head. My shoulders shook raggedly as I tried to take deep breaths and calm myself down. I came back up to the hospital after pulling myself together. At the front entrance, there was a cop with brown hair and thick glasses with two nurses by his side. They looked expectantly at me.

"Hello, Maximum," he greeted. "My name's William Pruitt, I'm the officer of Radisson City, and I'm here to confirm who your legal guardian is."

The Pruitt guy waited for my response, but I kept my mouth closed. I didn't trust myself to speak yet.

He continued. "Since you're eighteen now – a legal adult – you're permitted to live by yourself. But you have an aunt, Anne, who lives in Virginia. She could be your guardian if you'd like."

My eyes widened, slowly processing his words.

"So I'm asking for your consent. Would you like to move to Virginia, or stay with no parental guidance whatsoever?"

**ANSWER: SNOWBALLS xD**

**So please review, tell me how your day is, maybe a joke, something random or life-scarring, how my writing is, anything you need to vent...oh and did I say REVIEW? I'd like to know if this story's somewhat decent...be ruthless about it, kay? (: And I promise, PROMISE there will be FAX later. Not yet though.**

**'Till next week!**


	3. Whatever it takes

**A/N- Hello everyone! It's been a helluva week and I finally get to update :] I've been super busy with a bunch of school crap so I'm sorry if I didn't post this sooner. But I made this extra long! Thank you all again for the wonderful reviews! And, yes, I shall present another joke (did anyone even laugh at the other one?). But before I do that, I'm happy to say that Fang and Max will be involved together in this :]**

**Why did the pirate wear camo underwear? (Answer, as always, towards the end.)**

_"So I'm asking for your consent. Would you like to move to Virginia, or stay with no parental guidance whatsoever?"_

I blinked. His question echoed in my head. Mr. Pruitt stood there, waiting expectantly. But I couldn't voice my answer.

I didn't want to think about this. Didn't want to think about anything at all. So instead, I focused on the nurses in blue scrubs rushing back and forth in the hall behind him, listening to shoes squeaking against the shiny, pale floors, and all the clamor in the background.

I shouldn't be here. Shouldn't be in this situation. Shouldn't be in this place. This is where people go if they're dying or in life-threatening situations. I wasn't one of them.

But my dad was.

Mr. Pruitt cleared his throat and my attention was brought back to him.

"Well?"

I took another minute before speaking. "Can— can I— think about this?" I choked out. "Give me a few days?"

"Why, of course, Maximum. You just lost someone, and I know it's hard," he said sympathetically, adjusting his glasses. "Just let me know when you're ready."

I gave a small nod. The officer placed a warm hand on my shoulder and squeezed. Then he strode out the automatic doors, bringing in the late November chill I numbly stood there, ignoring the buzz and commotion coming from all directions. And all I could think was:

I shouldn't be here.

X X X

My sweaty hands gripped the small bundle of slightly wilted roses against my chest. If I applied any more pressure, I'm pretty sure the stems would break.

Everyone dressed in black gathered around the coffin that sat innocently beneath the ground. Some faces held tears, others sadness, some even pity. As if the sky was invited to join the funeral, it too decided to dress dark for the occasion.

Me? I wanted to get out of here.

I'm too young to be dealing with this kind of thing.

I'm supposed to be enjoying my senior year, not mourning over some dead body.

_But the dead body was actually my dad._

I sighed. Guilt gnawed at me. I wasn't very close to him, but seeing this casket made me realize that I took his presence for granted. I never got to know him well, because every time I tried, he'd always be talking about his career. He was so caught up with it that I got annoyed.

But now, I missed his voice. I wished I had listened to every one of his words. A small wet drop slid down my cheek, and I brushed it away.

And as if this wasn't cliché enough, the sky started crying to add effect to the scene. It just made me feel felt worse than ever.

"Max." Ella touched my shoulder. She was being so quiet the whole time that I almost forgot she was there. "You're next."

Nodding, I slowly walked over near the edge of the rectangular hole. Raindrops softly hit the ground, and my shoes made slapping noises in the muddy grass with every step I took. I gripped the limp flowers, and spoke.

"Dad," my voice cracked. "I wish I got to know you better. You weren't one of those typical dads I always hoped for when I was young. The ones that took their kids to baseball games or hosted barbeques during Fourth of July." I looked down at my ballet flats, noticing the worn marks on the edge.

"Now, I'm glad. You were different than everyone else. And I'm proud." Drawing a shaky breath, I continued. "I'll surely miss you and I hope you're doing okay." I got a lump in my throat, and I felt a tear trickle out of the corner of my eyes.

I knelt down and laid the flowers in the hole. Walking back to where I stood, I covered my mouth to stop any noises from coming out of it.

"Jeb, I'm sorry," a familiar, husky voice said. I turned to see who it was.

A dark figure hovered where I previously was, holding a flower in his hand.

"I'm sorry I was being careless while driving. I'm sorry for hurting your daughter. I've been the biggest villain I could possibly be. And I regret every action I made," he murmured so softly you almost couldn't hear through the rain.

"And to make up for everything, I vow to take care of Max from now on."

I was taken aback, but the stupid tears wouldn't stop flowing.

"I promise to make her happy again. I'll do whatever it takes." His eyes set with determination.

I turned away and cried on Ella's shoulder, not knowing what to think.

**A/N: The ending should have "Whatever it Takes" by Lifehouse cued in the background while you read this.  
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**Answer: TO HIDE HIS BOOTY. xD**

**Thank you MaximumRideFanAddict, whocares1313, and rocketdog791 for offering/suggesting(-goes to rocketdog791) to Beta! I loved the stories I read from you guys and it was hard to choose!**

**Review, Review, REVIEW :)**

**Till next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, here's the deal.**

**Sorry for the lack of updating! (Hope you all understand this)**

**I spent all week trying to remake/revise chapters 1-3 because I had some flaws that I really wanted to fix. Like:**

**-Fang is OOCness in the flashback.**

**-My sucky grammar.**

**-More details and feelings and such to make the story better. **

**(so I highly suggest you lovely readers to go re-read!) I will tell you what I changed.**

**Chapter 1: **

**-What Max was zoning out about during the car ride.**

**-****Fang recalling the scene where he and Max made cookies (kinda fluffy)**

**-Making the crash more INTENSE. **

**Chapter 2:**

**-took out the flashback. I have something better in mind. And plus, Fang was OOC.**

**-Williams Pruitt is not some random guy; he's an officer.**

**-More descriptive emotions/insights in Max's mind**

**Chapter 3:**

**-still under construction. (Eek MAJOR FLAW) I'm pretty sure you guys prefer quality over quantity. And this isn't my favorite chapter. I will let you know that I fixed it soon (:**

**I also feel really really bad for not giving you all a chapter. :\ so to make it up, I decided to give you all a sneak peak of this story!**

The cold nipped me and I adjusted my hood so it covered part of my face. I squinted my eyes from the severe wind and tried to resist from shivering. I yearned for a warm hand to hold me up so I wouldn't collapse in exhaustion.

Ahead of me, the dark boy treaded through the snow. His snow boots made a path for my feet so snow didn't get into my worn sneakers as I walked.

Things have changed between us. Now, I actually tolerated his being. Albeit I'll never admit it, I even enjoyed his company.

He looked back at me with eyes furrowed in slight worry. I tried to show him I was holding up okay, but as always, he saw right through me.

Fang came back and an automatic flicker of hope came inside me. I had the urge to run to him for warmth but stopped myself from letting him show I needed him. I built walls and didn't want him to tear them down.

"You okay?" he muffled through his black coat.

His eyes still held the same expression as before. I just stood there, not trusting myself to give any response. I felt numb and cold; my feet wouldn't continue to walk. I was tired and had low energy. Most of all, I wanted to cry and tell Fang everything was not okay. Tell Fang I couldn't deal with the issues anymore. Tell Fang that I didn't want him to walk out of my life again.

He studied me for a moment. Then slowly, he gently took my hand and lifted it into his. I flinched and pulled it back. Not because it was cold –- actually, it felt warm –- but because I was afraid.

Afraid that he'd leave.

Afraid that I'd get hurt.

Afraid that once I hold on, I'd fall.

"Don't touch my hand," I said weakly. I felt like I was on the edge of the earth.

He grabbed it back and his front faced me. Fang looked at me fiercely, his firm grip on my hand. I tried to take it away, but couldn't.

"I'm not going to let go," he said softly. "Not now, not ever."

"That's what you said last time," I whispered. I silently prayed he would follow his words.

His arms wrapped around my shoulders this time. He buried his cold face in the crook of my neck, making my hood fall back and hair instantly whipped around wildly at the wind.

"I won't," he muffled, "I promise."

Oh, I wished to believe him.

**Thank you Sierra156 and Tokoloshe Monster for turning my ordinary writing into gorgeous-ness! I truly appreciate it. (Readers, if interested, their profile links are on my page.)**


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